Improvement in corn-planters



P. SOULE. Hand'Planter.

I0/107,302. Patented Sept. 1s

N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTNDGRAFHER; WASHlNCvTDN. D C4 tuitrd @tapes rnrnasouIm, or WrNnson, NnW'Yo'nK.

LettersPatent No. 107,302, dated September 13, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLATERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making partof the same.

To whom itfnuty concern.-

Be it known 'that I, PETER SOUL'E, of Windsor, Broome county, in the State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Corn- Planters; and I .hereby declare the following to be a fuil and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part ot' this specifica-tion.

The nature or essence of my invention consist-s in providing a hand corn-planterwith a conical or spherical head, to make a depression in ithe surface of the groundlwherc the seed is deposited, it being deposited by plungers or slides traversing through said head, and in certain devices by means of which the seed is .adjustably fed from above, so as to be taken by the plungers and carried down into the ground, as will he fully set forth below.

In the drawing hereinbefore mentioned- .Figure 1 is an elevation or side view of my improved corn-planter, the outer case and certain other parts being shown in section, so as to exhibit the interior parts;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of thc adjustable feeding apparatus; and

Figure 3 is atop view of the head or lower part, with the flat curved springs contained therein.

The operating-rod A is provided with a handle, B, and extends downward through the feeding apparatus so as to be screwed into the four-armed cross C, as shown.

The outside case l) may bc made i'n one or in several pieces, as may bc preferred, and, in practice, should be about two and a half feet in length, more or liess, so as to be conveniently used wit-hout much stooping.

The upper portion E is to receive the grain or seed; next to this comes the feeding apparatus, to form which t-he ring G, provided with the bent arms H, is

' secured within the case by screws or otherwise, and

the ring or hopper F having an interior diameter somewhat greater' than that ofthe ring G, is screwed down upon it so as to be concentric withit, as shown in iig. 2.

Between these rings I place bristles, (seen at 43') or other suitable fibrous and elastic material, the same pointing toward and nearly reaching the rod A, a ring cf India rubber being placed beneath them and close to the inner edge of the lower-ring, so as' to cause their inner ends to project obliquely upward and receive support from the rod A should the weight ofthe grain above render such support necessary.

From the inner edge of the ring Ga cyliurlely-I,

(being a part of the same piece,) extends downward, andv has within its lower edge a thin .ring or short cylinder, J, attached toit. The ring l may be a comdown bythe spiral spring S bearing upon the` ring L,

on the bottom of the cylinder, 'and the bristles fr projecting over its top no seed will enter it; but, as often as the rod A is drawn up by the operator, the cross C, striking the ring L, drives the cylinder KV upward, and

its upper 'end passing through the yielding bristles, as;l .shown by dotted lines infiig. 2, is open to receive the seed contained in the case above.

The quantity received at each stroke will depend onthe depth of the cup, which has the upper part ofthe cylinder K foritssideaand the bottom or disk `s for its bottom, this disk' being fastened upon the rod A and traversing in the cylinder K and as ,the upward motion ofthe rod and disk is arrested when the ring L meets the ring or cylinder J the depth of the cup, formed as above, may be adjusted by screwing the rod Ain, or turning it ont of the cross C, and' more or' less seed fed through at each stroke, as desired.

In the downward stroke the disk 's passes out of the cylinder Kat the bottom, and the seed falls upon the planting apparatus below. As soon as the descent of the rod A allows the spring S to depress the cylinder K the bristles close over the top of the cylinder and prevent the entrance of any more seed until the cylinder is aga-in forced up.

In 'the lower cud of the case D, I'secure the head O, its exterior portion being made conical, spherical, or otherwise rounded, so as t-o form a hollow or depression in thc surface of the ground where the grain is planted, to receive the moisture or rain that may fall. It may be made of cast or other metal or of any other suitable material.- It is provided with four vvertical openings, ln, in which the plungers I traverse, said plungers being screwed into the arms of the cross C, as shown, so as to be operated by the rod Aand handlc` B, and their effective length or the depth to which they will penetrate the ground may be adjusted by screwing them up or down in the arms ofthe cross U.

From the interior ofthe head O, and at the sides of the openings fu., rise the walls 1;,indicated by. dotted lines in tig. 3,'formiug lthe cross spaces occupied by the Hat curved springs Q, as shown iniig. 3, and one of which is also seen edgewise in fig. 1. These spaces correspond with the arms. of the cross C, and the plungers l traverse in their outerportion... When the 4plunger-s are raised they are closed by the springs Q, as shown in fig. 3, and also by the dotted lines in fig. 1, but when the plungers descend to carry down the seed which falls upon the ont-er ends of springs Q from the feeding apparatus, as before described, the

springs being thin and light giveV way, as shown in g.'

l, and the pluugers passing by 'their ends and through the head O deposits the seed iu the ground.

The springs Q, a're held by 'a bolt in the head O, as

shown, and they not only, by their curved form, di-

rect the falling seed to the proper place aud hold it till the plunger comes down to deposit it in the ground,-

but they clear the plunger from mud or sticky soil as `it aseends.

It is obvious that the disk s luay be made adjustable on the rod A, if preferred.-

The spaces within the head O, exterior to the walls v, maybe covered or closed by av plate, w, shown in iig. 3, and the space within the caso D, around the ring G, by a ring-plate, z. y

-The foregoing being a description Aofmy improved corn-planter,

fhat Il claim as of -my invention, and desire to sccure by Letters Patent, is

l. In'a corn-planter, the conical or rounded head O, substantially as and for the purposel specified.

2. In combination with the bristles r, arranged as described, the traversing. cylinder K, operated by Ameaus'of` the rod A, and by the spring S, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3; In combination wit-h the cylinder K, the disk s on the rod A, for'fol'ming an adjustable cup to receive the seed, substantially as described.

4. The arrangement of the plungers 1,openugsu, and rounded headV O, constructed and arranged to op'- erate substantially-as described.` PETER SOULE.

Witnesses:

A. J. BUTTS, EDGAR DUSENBURY. 

